Cross Training Ministries Podcast

You’ve spent six weeks considering this question: How would my life change if I were friends with Christian hero Hudson Taylor? You are the sum of your 5 closest friends, and by now we’ve read enough of the life of Hudson Taylor to know that his presence in our friend group would challenge our faithful obedience to God.

This week we want to take that question, and scale it up: How would my church change, if Hudson Taylor became a member?

In week 7 of the HeroChallenge, we want you to see yourself as the man in your church who leads with humility and trust - like Hudson Taylor would.

Join the HeroChallenge

How would you describe the ordinary Christian man? Busy, exhausted, distracted - these are all fair descriptions that capture at least a small piece of the struggles of modern man. But here’s one word that keeps coming to my mind as I look at myself and my friends…waiting. And by this I don’t mean that men are waiting on the Lord. Rather, most men are waiting on someone else to act first. Waiting on the perfect circumstances before they commit. Waiting for life to slow down, before they get serious about growing in godliness. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

Our friend Hudson Taylor was terrible at waiting. He lived with a sense of urgency. If you are friends with Hudson, you better get used to going.

In week 6 of the HeroChallenge, we want to urge you to stop waiting - it’s time to follow through. Trust in the strength of God to carry you.

Join the HeroChallenge.

How do you describe God? Does what you think about God change, when your circumstances change? 

Our friend Hudson Taylor described God as the One Great Circumstance. This view of God seemed to give him confidence, bring him comfort, and spur him forward. A friend like Hudson urges us to ask the question: how would my life change if I believed God to be the One Great Circumstance?

In week 5 of the HeroChallenge, we want to challenge you to keep your mind on the One Great Circumstance. Trust Him. Know His peace.

Join us on the HeroChallenge.

When Hudson Taylor landed in China, he was greeted by danger, disappointment, and discouragement. In fact, not long after landing in Shanghai he sent his family a special Christmas present: a 5 pound cannonball - the very cannonball that almost took his life while navigating through war-torn China.

As you listen to Hudson’s stories about his early years in China, you discover that he’s is the kind of guy who can’t help but quote scripture and hymns. Cannonballs, death threats, hunger, loneliness - all produced the same result in him: recite the promises God. Hudson is the kind of friend who is always ready to remind you of God’s faithfulness.

In week 4 of the HeroChallenge, we want you to join with your friend Hudson in believing the promise that God will uphold you, strengthen you and help you - especially during times of adversity.

Join in here: HeroChallenge

Being friends with Hudson Taylor is an exercise in humility. Hudson is the kind of friend who you catch pleading with God - constantly. When he’s weak he pleads with God for physical strength to persevere. When no one else sees a way of escape, he pleads for a timely rescue. When he meets someone with a hard-heart, he pleads for their salvation.

Hudson is the kind of friend who is convinced that a man’s faith can be strengthened through complete dependence on God - and he has stories to prove it. Each story reveals the thesis of Hudson’s life: God can be trusted.

This is week three of the HeroChallenge. Follow along here: HeroChallenge

Hudson Taylor has unbelievable stories of receiving generous provision. He also has unbelievable stories of giving generously to others. Hudson’s stories scream this one truth: God is faithful to provide.

This is week 2 of the HeroChallenge. You can follow along here: Week Two

This is week One of the Hudson Taylor HeroChallenge.

When you read about the early years of Hudson Taylor’s life, you get the sense that his household was full connection points to the gospel. His mother and sister kept prayer journals. His dad invited missionaries over to the house regularly. His family had a bookshelf full of Bibles and books about the Bible. All of this, by God’s grace, fostered an environment where the young and skeptical Hudson grew to become  a man who believed that prayer works and God can be trusted.

Do you need help learning to trust God?
Join the HeroChallenge

It's been said that a man is the sum of his 5 closest friends. If that’s true, what would it be like to have Hudson Taylor as one of those friends? How would your life change if you began to mimic the man who left a legacy of trusting in the faithfulness of God? Let’s find out.

For the next 8 weeks we are going to challenge you to trust God with every area of your life. By adapting some of the disciplines of Hudson Taylor, you are going to become intimately familiar with the faithfulness of God.

This Hero Challenge is designed to disrupt a lifestyle of apathy and uncertainty.

Over the course of this challenge, you will be exposed to eight unmissable promises of God. You will be confronted with unbelievable stories of what happens when an ordinary man trusts God. You will be challenged to pray fervently, and act boldly.

Men need help strengthening their faith, learning to rely on God at all times and in all situations - that’s what this Hero Challenge will do. Get ready!

Sign-up here: HeroChallenge

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit." - Romans 8:5

Habitual distraction, misdirected desire, disordered love, stupid life planning - these are the symptoms of a mind that is set on the flesh, not the spirit.

Don't you wish you had the ability - in the midst of a busy life - to keep your focus and mind on God. You can.

Listen as Joe trains us in the discipline of spiritual mindedness.

Is your daily devotional stale? Do you feel like your mind constantly distracted? Learn how to renew of life of prayer, meditation, and devotion with Hymn Workouts.

In this episode, Evan reads the introduction to the book that gives distracted men 100 spiritual exercises.